WOF 467: The Fall—and Rise?—of Men

The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture

Brandon Vogt

God, Vogt, Catholicism, Catholic, Faith, Christianity, Barron, Religion & Spirituality, Christian, Church

4.9 • 5.5K Ratings

🗓️ 9 December 2024

⏱️ 31 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Despite the enduring, progressive narrative that society favors and privileges men, the sociological data reveals men have and continue to experience devastating declines in education, earning power, economic mobility, relationship stability, and physical and mental health. Often vilified by secular culture as “toxic” merely for existing, men are often far sicker, poorer, more addicted, more depressed, more incarcerated, and more likely to commit suicide than women.

However, more men than women now regularly go to church; numerous religious movements have been founded with the aim of helping men to overcome their spiritual, mental, and even physical weaknesses; and a new class of Christian men have been emerging on the political and cultural scene unapologetically calling for a return to traditional biblical values. How should we interpret this apparent masculinization of the faith and its effect on revitalizing the role of men in society? What insights does the Church offer, and what can we all learn from this to better evangelize both men and women?

A listener asks why—procreation aside—God created a woman for Adam as opposed to another man.

Links:

Article on book about issues facing men: https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books/book-reviews/of-boys-and-men-by-richard-v-reeves-males-face-bigger-issues-than-toxic-masculinity/41990575.html
E&C Online article: https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/richard-v-reeves-and-jocko-willink-take-on-male-malaise/
NYT article: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/29/opinion/crisis-men-masculinity.html
Prison Stats: https://www.bop.gov/about/statistics/statistics_inmate_gender.jsp
Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome back to the Word on Fire show. I'm Matthew Petrusick, senior director of the Word on Fire Institute and the host of the Word on Fire show.
0:06.6	Thank you for joining us. Despite the enduring progressive narrative that society favors and privileges men, the sociological data reveals a far different picture.
0:17.1	In reality, men have experienced and continue to experience devastating declines in education,
0:22.6	earning power, economic mobility, relationship stability, and physical and mental health.
0:28.4	Often vilified by secular culture as toxic merely for existing, something that used to be
0:34.7	called bigotry, men overall are often far sicker, poor, more addicted,
0:39.7	more depressed, more incarcerated, and more likely to commit suicide than women.
0:45.4	Notwithstanding these ongoing challenges, however, there does appear to be signs of renewal.
0:50.8	In a reverse of previous data, for example, more men than women now regularly go to church.
0:56.0	Numerous religious movements have been founded with the aim of helping men to overcome their
1:00.2	spiritual, mental, and even physical weaknesses, and a new class of Christian men have been
1:04.6	emerging on the political and cultural scene unapologetically calling for a return to traditional
1:10.4	biblical values. A movement, one commentator,
1:13.2	has called macho Christianity. How should we interpret this apparent masculization of the faith
1:19.2	and its effect on revitalizing the role of men in society? What insights does the church offer,
1:24.7	particularly in the examples of her male saints on authentic versus
1:28.5	unauthentic ways to be a man, and what can we all learn from this cultural moment to better
1:33.8	evangelize both men and women? Here to discuss is Bishop Robert Barron. Bishop, welcome back to the studio.
1:51.4	Thanks, Matt.
1:51.9	Always good to be with you.
1:53.0	Today we're discussing a challenging topic, but also potentially hopeful topic as well.
1:57.2	It's the challenges that men have been facing in secular society and also some
	...

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